Nikola Tesla planned to make school children smarter and healthier by saturating them unconsciously with electricity, wiring the walls of a schoolroom with high-voltage lines. The plan was provisionally approved by then superintendent of New York City schools, William H. Maxwell.
Biology Class Tests the Fish in Their Sushi, with Unsettling Results
Fair warning: if you’re a seafood lover who regularly purchases fish from the store or goes out for sushi, proceed with caution. There are some scientific results below that are, at best, upsetting.
At worst? You might vomit in your mouth.
It all began when biology professor Dr. Jennifer McDonald was looking for a way to bring a little excitement to her senior molecular biology course. So she sent them to sushi restaurants and grocery stores and told them to bring samples of their fish back to the lab so they could extract the DNA and determine whether the DNA matched the label.
Image Credit: Twitter
They tested 13 samples and 9 had good enough DNA sequences to determine their species.
So on Friday my Molecular Bio students did a lab about fish fraud. Their Super Important Homework Assignment (TM) was to go out for sushi and take a small sample home in a ziploc bag (EAT THE REST. Wasting food is uncool). Label the supposed fish, put it in the freezer.
— Dr. Jen M (@AwesomeBiota) April 1, 2019
Bring it into the lab next time on campus, put it in our "class freezer" on the bottom shelf.
On Friday, we took those samples, minced them so small it would make world-class chefs shed tears of envy, and extracted the DNA from the fish. Amplified the CO1 gene using PCR.
— Dr. Jen M (@AwesomeBiota) April 1, 2019
Of those 9? Only 2 were labeled correctly.
Yeah. And that’s not the worst part.
Notoriously, students are pretty bad at PCR. Then again, EVERYONE is pretty bad at PCR. It's the kind of thing that you have to practice a lot, it's hard to get a whole class to practice a lot (resources and time and all that), so we use "instructor samples" downstream.
— Dr. Jen M (@AwesomeBiota) April 1, 2019
But this time? HOLY BANANAS THEY ALL GOT RESULTS. I ran the gels today for them & posted results on our course website. Kids, I'm so excited for what these sequences will reveal. The results were *so good*. Better than I've seen in a very long time even considering my own results
— Dr. Jen M (@AwesomeBiota) April 1, 2019
Thursday I'll send them for sequencing and we'll collectively cross our fingers to see what we get. Here's the gel images in case you're curious. Keep in mind this is the…3rd PCR most of these students have set up, and some wells are negative controls. pic.twitter.com/nhVQHtwgrP
— Dr. Jen M (@AwesomeBiota) April 1, 2019
It’s been well documented over the past decade that fish mislabelling is prolific all over the global supply chain – it’s also illegal and results in fines (when detected). According to McDonald, about 50% of fish is believed to be labelled incorrectly (whether intentionally or not), with some species like red snapper and white tuna more likely to be mislabelled than others.
Josue sequenced some red snapper. I put money on that being tilapia and…I was right. Someone owes me $5.
His lab partner, Juanni, sequenced Atlantic Salmon. Comes back as Rainbow trout. Unsurprising. Not the same species AT ALL, but unsurprising.— Dr. Jen M (@AwesomeBiota) April 5, 2019
Not only is it unethical to sell people fish that is not the fish they’re expecting, it can also result in health issues (a common substitute for white tuna is escolar, which can cause gastrointestinal distress) and/or allergic reactions (shellfish is one of the more common – and more deadly – food allergies).
David and Nicolas both sequenced what they thought was Steelhead trout (aka Rainbow trout). David's was smoked, Nic's not.
Nic's was rainbow trout.
David's was coho salmon.
— Dr. Jen M (@AwesomeBiota) April 5, 2019
Moe sequenced one of the two samples (from different restaurants) labelled "white tuna". Often another name for albacore tuna.
It was yellowfin tuna. (NOT the same species!! A trade upwards)— Dr. Jen M (@AwesomeBiota) April 5, 2019
So Dr. McDonald wasn’t shocked at the findings.
Reena sequenced what was labelled (on the box I bought at the grocery store, no less) Icelandic Cod (MSC-certified).
It was. Thank God.Sydney sequenced what was labelled (again, ON THE BOX purchased at the grocery store) Pacific Cod.
It was Atlantic Cod. (CRINGEEEE!!!!!!)— Dr. Jen M (@AwesomeBiota) April 5, 2019
Jade sequenced what the sushi restaurant (who shall remain nameless…it's probably not their fault) called red tuna.
IT WAS TILAPIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
— Dr. Jen M (@AwesomeBiota) April 5, 2019
Evalyne sequenced the other sample of "white tuna". That was the one that I brought in, that I theoretically would have eaten if I actually liked and ate "white tuna" (I think it's gross).
It was escolar.THIS IS DANGEROUS. Can cause extreme gastrointestinal distress.
— Dr. Jen M (@AwesomeBiota) April 5, 2019
At least, not until this happened.
Last but not least of successful sample runs, we had one that makes my skin crawl. It was a sequence that came back with a bunch of "unknown bases" (a bit of cleaning up will help immensely) but I worked with what I had and ran it through the database. Was *supposed* to be Salmon
— Dr. Jen M (@AwesomeBiota) April 5, 2019
This salmon was not from a restaurant, but was instead purchased from the seafood department of a local grocery store. Again, to remain nameless. This was purchased from a counter, someone reaches in and grabs the fish, puts it in a bag, sticks a sticker on it, pay by the pound.
— Dr. Jen M (@AwesomeBiota) April 5, 2019
Of a gene approximately 650 base pairs long, I was hoping to get a workable sequence of at least 500 base pairs. This one only had 200 clean pairs before I go through the file to improve the sequence generated. So short compared to expected of "working material".
Ready?
— Dr. Jen M (@AwesomeBiota) April 5, 2019
Body louse.
I think I might vomit in my mouth a little.
I hope this is a mistake. HOPE TO ANY GOD FROM ANY RELIGION that this is a mistake.I hope that this somehow becomes a fish sequence when I clean it up a bit. BUT BODY LOUSE.
— Dr. Jen M (@AwesomeBiota) April 5, 2019
Yeah.
This wasn't a piece of garbage from a market. This was from a "salmon fillet" that someone paid good money for, cut some off before they cooked it, put it in saran wrap & brought it in.
BODY LOUSE.
Think about how much there must be in that sample to override fish DNA!
— Dr. Jen M (@AwesomeBiota) April 5, 2019
Dr. McDonald doesn’t plan to stop eating fish or sushi, and she doesn’t think you should, either – just make sure to go to restaurants where you feel confident in their fish suppliers and ask questions when something doesn’t look, feel, or taste right.
Anyway, I don't know if any of my students are nearly as enthralled as I am about the results of this experiment. I'M THRILLED.
16 students, 13 decent bands on the gel.
Of those, we had 9 with pretty decent sequences. THAT'S NOT BAD.
Of those 9, TWO WERE LABELLED CORRECTLY.— Dr. Jen M (@AwesomeBiota) April 5, 2019
So if you "are what you eat" and you like seafood? You have no idea what you are because nothing is labelled properly. If you want to know what you're eating? Make sure it's from a certified sustainable fishery. They know what they're fishing, and know what they're doing.
— Dr. Jen M (@AwesomeBiota) April 5, 2019
Which might be easier said than done, although the fact that sushi is so delicious should help buck you up.
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So… Drinking Breast Milk is The Latest Trend in Bodybuilding
There’s no easy way to say this, so I’ll just spit it out: Moms are selling their extra breast milk to bodybuilders, who swear it helps their performance.
The idea is that breast milk is all-natural, unlike many powdered supplements and vitamins. It’s designed to help babies grow, so it’s packed full of calories and nutrients — aka exactly what bodybuilders are looking for.
Who knew bodybuilders and infants had so much in common?!
Many bodybuilders swear by the practice, and it does make some sense…in theory.
Photo Credit: Pixabay
“I think the idea behind drinking breast milk for muscle growth is that it’s incredibly calorie and nutrient dense, and it has some additional healthy substances,” sports dietitian Brian St. Pierre told Men’s Health.
“Breast milk is designed to rapidly grow a human baby, so maybe people think a similar effect will happen to fully grown humans?”
If you’re a new mom with dollar signs in your eyes right now, hold your horses. There is no evidence that breast milk provides the same benefits for adults that it does for babies.
Photo Credit: iStock
Also, it’s not the smartest idea from a consumer’s perspective. It’s no simple matter to safely obtain enough high-quality breast milk for a grown man! There’s not really any way to verify where it came from, whether it’s free of disease, and whether it came from a human with a healthy diet. Plus it can be very expensive.
Also, there are like a million other cheaper, safer, calorie-rich drink alternatives.
“This stuff probably just isn’t special, and it’s not worth the hassle, risk, or money,” Brian said.
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10 “Game of Thrones” Easter Eggs Most People Missed
Game of Thrones is well-known for hiding all kinds of easter eggs in the show. Sharp-eyed superfans have noticed all kinds of interesting little details are hidden references throughout the series. Some of them foreshadow a character’s impending doom, while others are just a fun joke for the cast and crew. They’re all quick moments, however – take one quick trip to the kitchen, and you might miss them.
For those who don’t know, and easter egg is a hidden gem, a secret feature or an intentional inside joke. Think of it sort of like an actual easter egg hunt. Fans search for these underlying messages as clues to unlock hidden secrets, or simply to have a laugh.
Here are a few GoT easter eggs for you:
1. Harry Potter lives in Westeros
Well, not really. But there were two nods to the famous wizard in season 7. First of all, Archmaester Ebrose is played by Jim Broadbent, who was the man behind Horace Slughorn in Harry Potter. But the script takes this easter egg one step further. Samwell Tarly asks the Archmaester if he can go into the “restricted area of the library” inside the Citadel. Didn’t Harry ask him that same very thing at Hogwarts?
2. R + L = J
Photo Credit: Blog WSJ
This is one of the first major easter egg theories made by fans early on in the show’s run. Carved into the wood are the letters RL (as pictured), right next to Jon Snow. What does it mean? Glad you asked. R is Rhaegar Targaryen. L is Lyanna Stark. And together they made Jon Snow… Farfetched? Maybe. Maybe not.
3. Famous face found on Euron Greyjoy’s fleet
It was the moment we’ve been waiting for – Theon finally saves his sister, Yara. It’s the least he could do after he leapt off the boat in season 7, leaving her to Euron’s mercy. Thank goodness Euron had other things in mind, like claiming Queen Cersei…I digress.
During their attack on Euron’s fleet, Theon and his gang killed many men. One right in the eye with an arrow! That man was Rob McElhenney the co-creator of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The link? David Benioff (co-creator of GoT) also wrote for that show.
4. Foreshadowing the death of Joffery, Shae, and Tywin
Photo Credit: Mashable
You could watch the series straight through a million times and never catch all the secrets scribed in the script. Littlefinger, the sly menace he is, is (was) one character to keep an eye (and ear) on. In Season 4 he says:
“People die at their dinner tables. They die in their beds. They die squatting over their chamber pots. Everybody dies sooner or later.”
Sound familiar? Joffrey died of poison at the wedding feast. Shae died in her, or rather Tywin’s, bed. And Tywin himself, the patriarch of the Lannister family, died on the toilet.
5. Ed Sheeran was, in fact, killed off the show.
Photo Credit: Instagram. @teddysphotos
Remember when Ed was in season 7, singing songs with army bros and feeding Arya rabbit? Many people who watched where like, “Wha?” As a joke, the co-creators brought it back in season 8, episode 1. To teach us about Ed’s fate, the brothel gals chatted about him while—ahem—you know…with Bronn. They mention a ginger named “Eddie” who had his eyelids seared off…ie, he was killed by a dragon.
6. The Hall of Faces featured co-creators David Benioff and David Weiss
According to Weiss,
“You need enough faces that you don’t sense the repeats, but you obviously can’t face cast thousands and thousands of people because that’s prohibitively expensive. We used all the face molds we have ever used before. Both [series co-creator] David [Benioff] and myself appeared many, many times in the Hall of Faces … there is at least 20 or 30 of me in there, which is, I suppose, my cameo for the show.”
7. Ser Davos of Seaworth reveals Jon Snow’s birth name in season 3
Photo Credit: Huffpost
Davos may not seem like the smartest man, at least when it comes to books. After all, he can’t read – or at least he couldn’t at the start of the series. Princess Shireen Baratheon taught him early on, and one of his first words was Aegon. None other than Jon Snow’s real name.
Coincidence? It never is.
8. A regime never truly dies – just consult the furniture in the Red Keep.
While many may not have noticed, some of the furniture in the Red Keep (primarily in the Small Council room and Tommen’s bedroom) still has dragons carved into the wood. The co-creators left this element to show the history of the Lannister coup over the Targaryens. This is a subtle reminder to viewers about the long struggles between the two houses.
9. Sansa Stark’s wedding gown tells her story
Photo Credit: HBO
Costume designers take in every detail when designing the Game of Thrones garb. These garments are a major part of the show, if not an actual additional character. If you take a good look at Sansa Stark’s wedding gown (from when she wed Tyrion Lannister), you’ll find embroidered fish, dire wolves, and lions along a path. This is the journey from Sansa’s birth to her wedding day. And since Sansa is known for her mastery in needle and thread, it isn’t far fetched that this may have been made by her. Michele Clapton, a major designer on the show, said,
“The embroidery is a subliminal way to tell someone’s story. You can see the influence of her mother, Catelyn Stark, in the House of Tully fish that swim around her body, then the emergence of the Stark Direwolf and eventually the heavy stamp of the Lannister lion on the back of her neck.”
10. The Iron Throne pay homage to past fictional heroes
Photo Credit: Ign
The Iron Throne, arguably one of the BIGGEST characters on the show, is hiding a few secrets of its own. Though it’s ostensibly made from 1,000 of the Mad King’s enemies’ swords melted together (actually 200, as Littlefinger points out), it has some hidden gems, such as Gandalf’s sword, Glamdring, from The Lord of the Rings.
Fan-freaking-tastic!
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15 of the Ugliest Belgian Houses You’ll Ever See
There are no shortage of things in this world that go so far down the ugly scale they begin to somehow get cuter – like the scale is actually a loop and not a straight line.
I wouldn’t have guessed that this would apply to houses, but thanks to blogger Hannes Coudenys, now I do. Belgium is notorious for its quirky buildings, and in 2012 Coudenys started an Instagram account documenting some of the weirder ones.
It’s called Ugly Belgian Houses, and even architects and architecture enthusiasts can’t get enough.
After you scroll through these 15 bizarre architectural oddities, you’re not going to be able to, either.
#1. Are you sure it’s finished?
#2. A couple couldn’t decide on what kind of house to build and so this happened?
#3. Warped storage box or a house?
#4. Why would you do this.
#5. So weird.
#6. No idea what’s happening here.
#7. It’s a door! It’s a window! It’s both!
#8. That’s quite a beak.
#9. I can’t stop staring.
#10. Is it falling apart?
#11. This one, though.
#12. It looks like it’s made of Legos.
#13. I’m strangely uncomfortable.
#14. Somebody pissed this house off.
#15. In a science fiction movie, this is where the evil scientists are being all evil-y.
You can keep up on Instagram or Facebook.
Hot tip: don’t build a house like this.
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School Replaces Detention with Meditation, and the Results Speak For Themselves
If you ever spent any time in detention as a kid, you probably thought, “what is the point of this?” I think it’s pretty universal that detention consisted of staring at a wall and not doing anything, except maybe homework. Not the best.
The people in charge at Robert W. Coleman Elementary School in Baltimore, Maryland, had a different idea. Instead of putting kids who misbehave to detention, they’re sent to what is called the Mindful Moment Room.
"The truth is best as it is. No one can alter it; neither can anyone improve it. Have faith in the truth and live it -Buddha
Posted by Holistic Life Foundation, Inc. on Monday, February 4, 2019
The room is filled with plush pillows, lamps, and decorations. Kids are asked to calmly talk through what caused them to be sent there and then are encouraged to meditate and do breathing exercises to calm down.
The school partnered with a local nonprofit called the Holistic Life Foundation to create the Mindful Moment Room. For more than a decade, the Holistic Life Foundation has offered an after-school program where kids can practice mindfulness exercises and yoga.
"The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction." -Rachel Carson
Posted by Holistic Life Foundation, Inc. on Monday, February 11, 2019
The programs run by the Holistic Life Foundation also include mentoring, tutoring, and learning about the environment by visiting farms, cleaning up local parks, and building gardens.
Do you know we have a community garden at Robert W. Coleman Elementary School? This initiative teaches students more…
Posted by Holistic Life Foundation, Inc. on Monday, March 25, 2019
The kids have responded well to the program – in fact, suspensions at the elementary school plummeted. When nearby high school implemented the same programs, they also saw suspension rates drop and attendance increase.
Take a look at this video about the program at Robert W. Coleman Elementary.
This is a great idea. Honestly, I wish the schools I went to as a kid did this…
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3D-Printed Casts Are the Future of Healthcare
Have you ever broken a bone before? If so, you’re undoubtedly familiar with how long and uncomfortable the recovery process is in that heavy, clunky cast.
But two entrepreneurs from Latvia might have changed the game in a great way. Sigvards Krongorns and Janis Olins launched their startup company Castprint to improve the comfort of modern casts. The company uses 3D printing to build personalized, lightweight casts out of plastic. They utilize a web-like composition that helps stabilize and support broken bones.
Posted by Castprint on Monday, June 18, 2018
The casts are designed to be comfortable (what a revelation that would be), and they can easily be taken on and off, which means people can start rehabilitation earlier if they need to instead of having to wait for a traditional plaster cast to be cut off.
Another plus: people can wear Castprint casts in the water, so swimming is still an option and showering doesn’t have to involve the hassle of taping a plastic bag around your arm or leg.
Posted by Castprint on Monday, July 16, 2018
The idea for the company came when co-founder Janis Olins broke his elbow and found his injury interfered with his regular job as an auditor. None of his suits would fit over his cast, and he couldn’t go meet clients in person. In 2016 (while still in his cast), Olins was growing interested in 3D printing technology, so he and his partner Krongorns began working with a designer to come up with a potential prototype for a 3D printable cast.
Say goodbye to the old fashioned and heavy plaster casts!
Posted by Castprint on Monday, October 30, 2017
Olins said, “We interviewed doctors, clinic management, nurses, insurance companies and regulator representatives in order to find out more about fracture treatment and the processes involved.”
CastPrint now has partnerships with 7 clinics in Latvia where personalized casts are made for each patient. Olins said that originally many doctors were skeptical of their product, but as time went on and they saw how successful the casts were, they’ve gotten on board.
UZMANĪBU Castprint atbalstītāji un sekotāji! Easm iekļauti @Arctic15 TOP30 inovatīvāko jaunuzņēmumu sarakstā. Lai…
Posted by Castprint on Thursday, May 3, 2018
Olins and Krongorns are looking to expand past Latvia, and their first international partners are in Finland.
Olins added, “We envision, and hope, that with our work we can bring healthcare services and 3D printing technology closer together. Because of the simplicity and ease of our service, there is more potential, and we can fundamentally change the way fracture injuries are treated in the world.”
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People Continue to NOT Recognize Tony Hawk, and It’s Hilarious
Tony Hawk just can’t catch a break, can he? Who knows why, but Hawk just can’t get anyone to believe he’s really the man he says he is. We’ve previously documented how often the world-famous skateboarder doesn’t get recognized, and we’ve got a new example – it happened when Hawk was trying to rent a car.
At rental car agency, can’t find my name on the monitor to find my car, go inside & wait in line. Finally get to the front, agent sees me & says “you really are Tony Hawk”
Me: um, yes. I was looking for my name outside on the list
Him: “I deleted it because I thought it was fake”— Tony Hawk (@tonyhawk) April 14, 2019
Sorry Mr. Hawk, but it happened again. But since he’s such a nice guy, he didn’t call out the person or the rental car company by name.
It’s real. I purposely left out which rental company because I don’t want him to get fired.
— Tony Hawk (@tonyhawk) April 14, 2019
Just like the many times when he wasn’t recognized in public, people loved this story about Hawk’s misfortunes.
God I love these stories.
— Caroline Klapper (@cklapp2) April 14, 2019
Can you please publish a book of just these stories?
— Nate Igor Smith (@drivenbyboredom) April 14, 2019
And someone made this great collage on Hawk’s famous video game cover.
—
Toa
(@ToaofDeath2) April 14, 2019
Classic! All I can say is that I would recognize you, Mr. Hawk!
At least I think I would…
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16 Baby Shower Confessions That Made Us Very Uncomfortable
Confession time: I’ve actually never attended a baby shower. I’m sure I will at some point, and after seeing these crazy confessions, I guess I’m semi-looking forward to enjoying the drama.
1. Just feel how you feel. Those emotions are all yours.
Photo Credit: Whisper
2. Dem hoes…
Photo Credit: Whisper
3. Nerd baby FTW!
Photo Credit: Whisper
4. Bless their lily white souls…
Photo Credit: Whisper
5. Wait… what?!?
Photo Credit: Whisper
6. This f**king guy! O_o
Photo Credit: Whisper
7. She’s going to need all the support she can get. Be there for her.
Photo Credit: Whisper
8. Oh snap.
Photo Credit: Whisper
9. **sniff**
Photo Credit: Whisper
10. So fabulously, profanely petty.
Photo Credit: Whisper
11. Just. Say. No.
Photo Credit: Whisper
12. Oh, this sucks…
Photo Credit: Whisper
13. Y.I.K.E.S.
Photo Credit: Whisper
14. Pro gift.
Photo Credit: Whisper
15. Divorce her immediately.
Photo Credit: Whisper
16. Not a bad point, tbh…
Photo Credit: Whisper
Shocking, yes. Surprising? Not really.
But that Grandmother-To-Be shower and then no baby shower for the mom is peak pettiness. How does something like that even happen?
F**king people…
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Epic Text Thread About Cake Decorating, Lies & a Girl Named Trisha Goes Viral
Meet Josh, who is apparently a genius with cakes!
Photo Credit: reddit
Josh is texting with his “friend” Trisha.
And Trisha is not buying Josh’s bulls**t about cakes.
Photo Credit: reddit
Oh Josh, don’t try to convince Trisha that you did anything to that cake.
She clearly knows you’re lying.
Just own up to it.
Photo Credit: reddit
Oh. You doubled down?
And…. yep!
Trisha totally called you on it.
Photo Credit: reddit
Wait… you’re tripling down?
Has that ever been attempted in the history of lying about baking and/or decorating cakes?!
Photo Credit: reddit
You do realize that Trisha is completely immune to your attempts at making her feel bad, right?
She does not give ONE SINGLE F**K about your feelings.
What I’m saying is Trisha will destroy you if you keep giving her the chance.
Photo Credit: reddit
Wait WHAT?!?!
You’re quadrupling down?
Has that ever been attempted in the history of lying about baking and/or decorating birthday cakes for nieces?!?!?
Photo Credit: reddit
Oh Josh.
Josh, Josh, Josh…
You know what you have to do, right?
Photo Credit: reddit
No. NO!!!!
Trying to confuse Trisha isn’t what you’re supposed to do!
Trisha is CLEARLY much, much, much, much, much smarter than you.
Like, sooooooooo much smarter.
She is not to be f**ked with.
Photo Credit: reddit
Best to come clean.
Better late than never!
Photo Credit: reddit
I don’t know buddy… looks like you’ve still got a shot with Trisha!
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